


Sexy Beast

by junko



Series: Senbonzakura's Song [43]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-28 00:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2712500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having conquered his momentary fear of Renji's demon, Byakuya continues the "strip sparring" session.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sexy Beast

This time when Renji powered in, Byakuya was more than ready. Instead of standing to receive the blow, he stepped into it, using his blade to deflect Zabimaru. Unbalanced, Renji stumbled past, cursing in a most satisfactory way as he yanked his head round to keep his hair out of Byakuya's hands.

"You can't expect your opponent to abide by your pace. Be ready to compensate," Byakuya said, temporarily abandoning the pursuit of crimson locks and reiterating what was a basic rule of zanjutsu.

He'd meant it as a tease, but Renji rounded on him with a snarl, though his lip was curled more in self-annoyance than anger, Byakuya thought. "Yeah, I got it," he snapped, slashing a hand through the air as though to dismiss the advice. "Won't make that mistake again."

Renji backed off, both hands now on Zabimaru's hilt, eyes watchful. Dust stirred beneath their feet as they circled each other, Byakuya waiting for another attack, which had to come, surely, because patience was never Renji's forte. Even though the sun flashed fire into Renji’s hair and his forehead tattoos were scowling and fierce as he paced like an animal, the fear Byakuya had felt had faded completely--replaced with a kind of electric awareness that made everything seem brighter and bolder.

Finally Renji came in for the kill. Byakuya countered with a slice that became an attack of its own, which Renji parried, his eyes widening slightly as a flurry of blows followed, each met by steel as their blades clashed and slid, filling the air with sound of combat.

They both breathed heavily by the time they pulled back, one loop of Byakuya's scarf unwound and half of Renji's hair tumbled loose from its tie. Neither was victorious, but neither was the loser either.

"Hah!" Renji crowed, grin exultant. He dragged a hand down his face where sweat had beaded moments before, leaving streaks of dirt on cheeks and neck, then tossed his head back to flick blood red hair from his eyes.

Byakuya's pulse throbbed at the sight, the picture of Renji so entirely wild and untamed burned into his mind like an afterimage of the sun itself. Gods, but was there any end to his wanting of this man?

He swallowed past desire and drove in another attack. This time, rather than coming from above, he took a risk, swapping hands mid-manoeuvre and coming in low. Renji spotted the strategy immediately and Byakuya only just got away with his scarf intact.

"That one ain't gonna work on me," Renji called as they broke off. "Senpai uses it all the time. Fighting him, I learned to keep my eye on the sword, not the hand holding it."

It was an interesting detail to know, if Byakuya ever found himself fighting Madarame, which, considering the recent encounter with the man's captain, could not be ruled out.

So then, since that strategy had failed, what other might succeed?

A textbook’s worth of potential moves unspooled in his mind, yet none of them appealed. It all seemed so staid, so predictable. What was it he had said to Renji earlier? Do you plan to ambush me with sword form fifty-three?

He could. Control, building incrementally on the experience of those who'd gone before, knowing one's own limits before pushing them, that was what made for a strong well-rounded shinigami. Or so Byakuya had been taught.

Renji was anathema to all of that. No matter what faced him, he bulled forward, apparently fearless and bold in the face of potential failure. Rescuing Rukia, following Ichigo Kurosaki to Hueco Mundo. Even in the way he'd doggedly refused to give up on their relationship, none of that was about biding by what was possible. Instead he seemed to rewrite the rules to make them say what he wanted.

Could Byakuya do that?

When they had fought over Rukia, Renji had been able to follow senka, the flash-step move Byakuya used as the quickest and most efficient way of taking an enemy down. Did that then mean he could track Byakuya at his fastest? The sort of speeds Byakuya would use against someone like Yoruichi?

Moving at those speeds was almost as dangerous for the one performing them as it was for those they fought. A wrong step and severe injury could follow.

Was it worth taking the risk?

Renji's next power drive of an attack made the decision moot. Byakuya hadn't hesitated to up his game against Zaraki, and he shouldn't against Renji, even in a spar.

Parrying the blow, he pushed off at flat-out speed. In a heartbeat, he hit the mountainside and leaped off, sending rocks tumbling as he accelerated towards Renji, who, as Byakuya closed in on him, looked to be moving in slow motion. But he was moving. His eyes were widening, his mouth opening. He could see the move, Byakuya realized. See it, but not yet guard against it.

At the last second, Byakuya flipped, leaping over Renji's head to miss the slowly rising Zabimaru. Hair caught in his fingers, followed by cloth, which briefly snagged, and then came free. As he landed, Byakuya heard a yelp from behind him. Turning, he held out Renji's hair-tie in his hand.

Renji relaxed his pose, sheathing Zabimaru. He smiled widely through the curtain of hair that had fallen into his face. “Shikai might have helped me there… maybe,” he said, raking his fingers roughly through that crimson jumble, his demon-gaze sparkled mischievously. “But, you win, Mr. Flash Master.”

And what a prize Byakuya claimed, to see Renji like this, with hair so wild and fiery, shining so brilliantly in the artificial light. Thick strands stuck to Renji’s dirt smeared face and neck. How was it that this man could be both so beautiful and terrifyingly wild at the same time? Especially standing there, covered in sweat, breathing like he did during sex….

Byakuya had to turn away. 

But, suddenly, Renji’s voice was close, low and growling in Byakuya’s ear. The heat of his body just inches from touching Byakuya. “What, you ain’t going to claim more than a hair tie?”

So very tempting. “I thought the whole idea was to keep such things separate.”

“Eh, I suppose it was,” Renji said, sounding deeply disappointed as he stepped back. Cold air replaced the heat of their bodies and Byakuya had to stifle a gasp of loss. “Still. Can’t blame a boy for trying.”

“Not at all,” Byakuya said, wishing that more self-control so he could at least steal a kiss or two. But such a move would only lead to all that followed and then they would be very late back to the Division, indeed.

“Yeah, it was fun,” Renji said with a sudden yawn and a stretch. “We should make it a regular thing. I kind of love the idea of strip sparring. Next time I think hakama ties should be involved.”

Was he serious? “Renji, we would trip and kill ourselves.”

“Yeah, but we’d be naked fast.”

Look at that beastly grin; Renji was incorrigible. “This was distracting enough.”

“Yeah?” Renji was close again, as Byakuya started heading towards the exit. “You going to give me back that tie, or you going to make me go around like this all day?”

“Oh.” The word came out unbidden, in the same unconscious way as the image of Renji wandering around the Division so… sexual did. It was astounding how quickly Byakuya’s body betrayed him, as well. No wonder he always considered Renji so dangerous. He always pushed Byakuya out of control so quickly, so fiercely. Even as fingers tightened around the tie in temptation, Byakuya shook his head. “If you did that, we’d get nothing done.” Opening his hand, he let the ribbon drop. “Take the tie.”

“Did you seriously just drop that? You’re such a tease, Byakuya. That’s like the oldest trick in the book. It’s like you want to see me bent over or on my knees.”

Byakuya had to flash away before Renji could see the reaction that had caused. 

#

As he stooped to pick up the tie, it amused Renji how hard Byakuya was trying not to be turned on. It really, really made Renji want to push it, get Byakuya to crack, but he decided he’d better back off—for now, anyway. 

Because, as fun as that might be, pushing Byakuya to be out of control was never a good plan, and it was a particularly bad one right now, since that’d been the whole point of this little experiment.

As Byakuya had had to remind him.

Man, Renji thought as he twisted up his hair, this was why they always headed right back into trouble the second they were out of it. Renji’d come up with this big plan, but he’d have sabotaged it in a heartbeat because part of him just wanted to win that little bit more.

Except the win wouldn’t last. Hakama would get ripped and he’d be all pissed off again.

So, yeah, let Byakuya keep up these last defenses, draw this line in the sand, so that later they could play right up to the edge. 

That’d be all right.

As he twisted his hair into place, Renji chuckled to himself. He was beginning to think that if he wanted to achieve his goal of defeating Byakuya on the battlefield, all he’d really have to do is let his hair down and take his shirt off…

Eh, but that’d be a cheat. A fucking satisfying cheat, but a cheat, nonetheless. If he could talk Byakuya into doing this more often, though… he’d have more chances like this to study Byakuya. Though, if today was any indication, each fight would give Byakuya a chance to figure out how to exploit Renji’s weaknesses too. They’d be in a never-ending dance—for each step up, the other countering, rising.

Heh, that’d be all right, too.

With that last thought, Renji finally exited the training grounds, leaving the hot summer sun for a wan winter one. Glancing over the Seireitei, Renji could see no sign of his captain. Byakuya had a strong head start. No doubt he was already in his office, tucked in safe behind paperwork and routine.

As he leaped into shunpō, Renji thought about his own pile of paperwork in his office. He figured he was going to have to give Nanako an extra hour or two tomorrow for all this skivving off he’d done today, especially since he should really do the Division a favor and stop for a change of clothes, if not a full-on bath.

Landing in the quad, Renji decided, instead, to stick his head into the lieutenant’s office to see if she could cope with him being out just a little bit longer to freshen up. He was so focused on the main office, Renji walked right past the open break room door. It took two strides longer before Renji realized he’d just seen Nanako in there talking to Hisagi. He stopped, blinked, and doubled-back to make sure he’d really seen what he thought he’d seen…. Because, were they flirting?

Okay, Nanako was. She was actually leaning on the table with her head in her hands listening very intently to whatever dumb-ass story Hisagi was spinning. Renji leaned in the doorway watching for a few minutes, because, seriously: this dude needed a wingman so bad. Not because he couldn’t snag women’s attentions, but because he was deeply oblivious to them. 

Maybe Hisagi did this shit on purpose. Maybe he really only had eyes, or rather nosebleeds for Matsumoto. 

That was the way of things, wasn’t it? You could be super-attractive to everyone except the one person you desperately wanted to impress. Then, whenever they came around, you froze up like a jackass or a complete doof. 

Or… melted, like Nanako looked like she was ready to.

Renji had to interrupt this scene before it got embarrassing, “Yo, Hisagi, you just hanging out here?”

Hisagi turned around, standing up at the same time. “Hey, Renji! Just the guy I came to see.”

Nanako shot Renji the stink eye. He mouthed back, “Aren’t you were dating Kinjo?”

Her lips went thin. But if she was going to say anything, Renji couldn’t see because Hisagi was slapping him on the shoulders and asking, “How are the plans going?”

“Slowly,” Renji admitted, moving them both back towards his office, “I got some addresses for us, but I haven’t had time to check into them yet. I don’t suppose you’d have time?”

Hisagi perched himself on the edge of Renji’s desk. “You know, I might, but I’ve got to wonder exactly whose boyfriend this is for, if I end up doing all your work for you.”

A couple of the officers in the room gave Renji a curious glance. “Yeah, well, I figured half of this was for you to get closer to your Ms. Rangiku.”

Hisagi laughed lightly. “Yeah, she’s agreed to do the decorating, but we need a room to decorate.”

Finding the slips of paper on his desk, Renji handed them to Hisagi. “These are the places I can afford, which isn’t saying much. Pick one, would you? I can come by and help with whatever you need after my shift.”

Hisagi glanced at the slips and then back at Renji. “Maybe I should get some others to chip in?”

Renji sat back in his chair, “Then I really suck, don’t I? I’ve done none of the work, and I can’t even pay for it.”

“Not if it turns into a club,” Hisagi said. “Right? That was the point? To take your fella dancing?”

“My fella? What the hell?” Renji laughed. “Is that some Human World slang?” 

“Yeah,” Hisagi said, with a smile. “It was in a movie. Akon—the guy who is doing the DJ thing—he streams these films with ‘fellas’ and ‘dames.’ They’re a riot. You should come some time.”

Renji shook his head. “To the Twelfth? You think I’m insane?”

“This is why I can never get anyone to go with me,” Hisagi sighed. They’re so paranoid they’re going to end up on some lab table. It’s every Friday night. You should bring your fella, if you’re not too chicken.”

“Chicken?” Having just come off a fight, Renji knew he was falling for it, but he just couldn’t stop himself. “You challenging me?”

“Yeah,” Hisagi said. He stood up to match Renji, who didn’t even remember pushing out of his seat to loom over Hisagi. Hisagi waved the papers under Renji’s nose. “Here’s the deal. I’ll take care of this. All of it. But you have to bring your guy to the movies at the Twelfth.”

“Fine,” Renji snarled. “You think I won’t? I got this. It’s a deal.”

When Hisagi wandered off triumphantly, Renji sank back in his chair. What the fuck had he just done? He was never going to be able to talk Byakuya into going out to the movies… it was bad enough that he was going to try to get Byakuya to a homemade club for dancing.

Now it was Nanako’s opportunity to shake her head, and she did so, with relish. “You think your guy is going to be into any of that? Dancing? Movies? What exactly goes through your head, Lieutenant?”

“Not a lot,” Renji agreed sadly. “Not a whole hell of a lot.”

An unseated officer at the bulletin board, who’d watched the whole exchange, asked, “So, you’re not dating Rukia Kuchiki then? Because I kind of… that is a lot of us figured….”

Renji glared at the rudeness of this guy, but then shrugged. “Yeah, no, that ship sailed, buddy. Long time ago.”

“Is it the orange-haired ryoka?”

Renji glanced at Nanako and then back to this unseated guy. “Why does everybody go there?”

“You’re a lot alike,” Nanako offered.

“He’s a totally annoying knucklehead—“ Renji stopped himself. “Yeah, okay, I see your point. But, seriously, don’t you figure I’d go for someone more like Hisagi?”

“Too cool for you,” Nanako said without hesitation.

Renji sputtered for several minutes, and then finally said, “Okay, that’s it. I’m taking a break; I need a bath. I’m going to see if I can’t sneak into the hot springs. I’ll be back in an hour,” he gave Nanako a teasing glare, “If you’re lucky, girl.”

She laughed and waved him off, “Go! You stink!”

**Author's Note:**

> Josey wrote the fight scene again (because she's so good at that). So, if you liked that, you should tell her so!


End file.
